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Breast feeding, exhaustion and anxiety.

Anyone else just exhausted all the time?
I've had a pretty bad day today, I got very little sleep last night and have been dizzy all day and now I've got terrible anxiety.
Do you think breast feeding can create this kind of exhaustion.
I feel pretty helpless and really don't want to continue feeling this way.
I'm so tired that whenever I stand I just want to sit back down again - I try and sleep when she does but she's not sleeping very much during the day - i made my partner come home from work early as I couldn't cope today and we gave her a bottle (BM) so I could sleep .... does it get easier?
I'm worried about my anxiety as it really takes over me.
She's eating every 2 hours but sometimes more - growth spurt time I think
I just want to feel human again or at least not dizzy and have energy to give her instead of feeling like a zombie!

Re: Breast feeding, exhaustion and anxiety.

Are you eating enough. I was getting dizzy because I failed to get enough nutrition.. it also helped with the exhaustion being well fed. how old is your little one? my little one was nursing every 2 hours for about the first 2 weeks. during week 3 she started going longer at night. I also had my husband give our little one a BM bottle here and there so i could get some more sleep. it does get better. my LO is 4 weeks old now she eats every 2-3 hours during the day. but she has been sleeping 3-5 hour stretches at night.

Re: Breast feeding, exhaustion and anxiety.

HEy - she's 3 months now!
She's never really gone longer than 2 hours to feed, she's stayed pretty much the same the whole time, I think she's going through her 3 month growth spurt, and I think I'm eating enough but maybe I'm not.
The thing is is that i suffered from pretty bad panic attacks a few years ago and I believed I'd gotten over them ... but today I"m not so sure - I feel horrible.... I want to be that strong mum she deserves but feel like i'm failing myself and her today.

Re: Breast feeding, exhaustion and anxiety.

I also thought maybe you're not eating enough. of course the not enough sleep is also an issue but you need to tell your partner at least to make sure you have enough food in the house so you can eat something. even snacks like nuts, cheese, fruit, really can make a big difference. 3 months is a hard time to be a mom I think, kind of transitioning away from the newborn period. are you taking anything for the anxiety? i believe there are meds that are compatible with breastfeeding, and other mamas may chime in on that.

eta: i know there are days i feel like i'm failing too, its just really tough being a mama, and i dont have anxiety to worry about as well. just focus on the basics, food, water, sleep, for you and baby. cleaning and everything else isnt important. and ask for help, sometimes we women forget to ask since we're so used to doing it ourselves. do you ahve any other friends or family that can visit?

Re: Breast feeding, exhaustion and anxiety.

Yes, I am exhausted all the time. I can't offer you too much advice except to say that I am in the same boat, and it has to get better. If it didn't, no one would do this! Right? You are stronger than you know, and I am sure you are doing an amazing job! Hopefully tonight will be better, but if not you are one night closer to a good night.

Re: Breast feeding, exhaustion and anxiety.

I also suffer from terrible anxiety. I have to carry a script incase i have one! I'm sure being tired and your hormones are crazy is not helping the anxiety. If i start feeling that way i will make sure my husband has a bottle (BM) and i will take a shower without rushing, take a nap, i even went to get a massage one day. I need time for myself to ensure my anxiety stays in check. how do you end a nursing session? do you wait for her to unlatch? does she feed both sides or just one?

Re: Breast feeding, exhaustion and anxiety.

You need to make sure to eat enough. Also make sure to get outside daily and get a little exercise (even if it's just a short walk with the baby).

My son nursed every 2 hours around the clock throughout his entire infancy (sometimes as frequent as every 1 hour, occasionally he would give me a 3 hour stretch at night), but he got pretty efficient and often got what he needed in just a few minutes. I needed to nap when he napped, go to bed earlier, and cosleep to get the sleep I needed. It is exhausting for awhile, but your body acclimates to broken sleep rather than continuous sleep.

However, the anxiety is potentially problematic. You've suffered anxiety prior to the baby, correct? You should go talk to a psycologisy/therapist/counselor or the like. It is possible that the anxiety is causing the exhaustion rather than the other way around, particularly if you suffer from chronic anxiety. You really should consult a professional to find out if you would benefit from a medication or not. Many medications are BF compatible.

Re: Breast feeding, exhaustion and anxiety.

Hey beautiful mumma's, thank you so much, to answer a few questions, I let her fall asleep on me, she barely latches off at the moment, she stays on me till she sleeps and generally I need to gently pull her off, I've stopped doing as much house work but the house is really failing because of it - maybe I'm not eating enough, I really try to make sure I am - I'm definitely drinking enough water.
I think the thing that gets to me the most is the dizzy feelings that creates even more anxiety - also NY is going through a heat wave so I havn't been getting outside at all, I know we should never be hard on ourselves but sometimes I think tough love works with me but not in this instance, I just feel like a little girl at the moment, going to the Dr tomorrow so will enquire about meds, I want to be strong enough to cope without them but this might be to much now, it's been happening for so many years and I don't want my daughter to think it's normal to be like this ... I so appreciate your replies though makes my anxiety less - and my family are all in NZ ... so just myself and my partner - but he's amazing. I just need to somehow change my neuro pathways so I don't react the way I do to stress and tiredness!

Re: Breast feeding, exhaustion and anxiety.

Originally Posted by @llli*tanpixie

The thing is is that i suffered from pretty bad panic attacks a few years ago and I believed I'd gotten over them ... but today I"m not so sure - I feel horrible.... I want to be that strong mum she deserves but feel like i'm failing myself and her today.

Okay (I type too slowly and didn't see this), you do need to talk to someone. A strong mum is NOT one who goes it alone; a strong mum knows when she needs help to get by. You are NOT failing. You just need to talk to someone about your feelings and work out a plan to deal with them. That plan might be meds, or it might be a diet change and exercise, or it might be a behavioral treatment - only a professional can help you figure that out. You don't have to feel this way.

Re: Breast feeding, exhaustion and anxiety.

Thanks so much ... you're right, I do need to talk to someone, Im sure exhaustion is common whilst BF ... but anxiety is probably not and I need to sort it out.
I"m going to head to bed now but thanks again for all your support Mum's ... I so needed it tonight and I got it here so thank you - I hope I can repay the favor at some stage with some of your questions! x